Waistline2 Waistline2 Obama as a "uniter" is an interesting Marxist approach. ^^^^^ CB: Marxist as in Workers of all nations and races , unite ! ^^^^^ Perhaps if all of us was raised by a white parent and white grandparents, we too would be "uniters." ^^^^^ CB: Makes sense. It would engender need for unity on a personal level for peace of mind. His mother seems to have taught him Black history type respect for Black people. He seems to have somewhat consciously constructed a Black identity of high integrity. Going to the hood to live, like an anthropologist joining his own culture. Now he's an interesting character. To coin a phrase, he seems to be in the Presidential world , but not of it. Somehow he comes across as confident in the sense of not worried, in the face of an extraordinary mess but not arrogant and not aloof. Engaged with horrific crises, but not scared and not in the bliss of ignorance. I'm like "more power to ya, Barry". So far, so good. ******** Comment/Reply I tend to prefer a Marxist approach rather than psychological speculation and race theory. ^^^^^ CB: The Marxist approach to an individual's personality would be a psychological approach too. ^^^^ To conceive Obama personality traits as a call for "Workers of all nations and races , unite !" is an interesting proposition. ^^^^ CB: He said he's a uniter not a divider, Given he's Black , and of course that is a prominent feature of the public situation, race unity is strongly suggested. So, it fits with workers uniting. In the US racial unity is an important version of the famous unity slogan. ^^^^ Further, I reject the concept that humanity is divided into races. ^^^^^ CB: You are ignoring social and historical actuality. What do you think the Civil Rights movement was directed at ? An illusion ? ^^^^^^ I am convince with every fiber of my being that those who cling to race and its usage will inevitably fail to approach issues from a class point of view, because a false theory of biology cannot be reconciled with a science of class and economic relations. ^^^^ CB: Race is an invalid biological concept Unfortunately, it is a real social, political economic and historical category. It inflects class. ^^^^^ Obama does not unite back and white people, devoid of any class conception of society. ^^^^ CB: When I mention "Workers of the all nations and races unite " I am referring to his impact on uniting people in relation to a class conception of society. That should be obvious. ^^^^^^^ Pardon, but whites in America are not united amongst themselves because class - economic interest, stratification, status and perception of class, divides them and have always divided them, along with a morality of "what is right and wrong" about our society ills. ^^^^^^^ CB: Yes, but that doesn't mean White and Black workers haven't been divided too. ^^^^^^^ Barack's personal qualities, which I most certainly have never ignored, which cast him a "uniter," is a class thing also: to unite or maintain the polarizing unity that is the productive forces and social relations of American society. ^^^^ CB: Maybe. We'll see what happens. ^^^^^ That is his J.O.B. ^^^^^^ CB: So, far the effect of his campaign has not been to do that job. ^^^^^^ Obama's personal cool has more in common with Frank Sinatra rather than Miles Davis with the latter expressing a contempt and demeanor characteristic of the black middle class militant profoundly aware of the structural barriers of Jim Crow. Personal qualities are important but should not overshadowed class; and in Obama case, his set of polices designed to protect the unity of the productive forces and social relations. The race to the bottom, has nothing to do with biological race, and will not stopped or be halted by any of Obama's polices. The character of who hits bottom first, from the standpoint of the color factor, is rooted in slavery and its aftermath. ^^^^ CB: You introduced the issue of individual personality by your idea that he has an immigrant personality. I'm not trying to override class with personality. I'm pointing to the impact of his campaign in contributing to more unity between races, including between White, Black and Brown workers, especially. Reduction of racism in the middle strata enhances the racial unity of the working class as well. His mixed racial background logically helps him in leading a movement that unites sections of the social classes. As to whether he does what you say, we shall see. So, far it's not like that His budget proposals to reverse Reaganism and pledge to fight its opponents is the opposite of what you predict. It is fighting for the working class versus the rich. ^^^^^^^^^ It is interesting to state that Obama went to live in the hood, when most Negroes in America were born in the "hood." The point being that this "anthropologist joining his own culture," is why the story of the American Dream is shaped a certain why in Obama's hands. Me think we both agree and are saying the same thing, from different directions in respect to the personality of Obama. The stark different in our direction is that I tend to try and write specifically from the standpoint of class; class intersection, classes amongst whites and blacks and how in this intersection communist fight the daily battles of the proletarian masses. ^^^^^ CB: No, I'd say I'm writing from the standpoint of class too, inflected by race, which is necessary in discusing class in the US. The hoos is the working class section of the Black community. So, O went to the working class section of the Black community when he could have got rich. Not too many Columbia grads become community organizers, especially in the 1980's. ^^^^^^^ Class and communism are words generously used in everything I write. ^^^^^ CB: Me too. ^^^^^^ Our J.O.B., regardless to who is President is to fight for the victory of the workers, or whatever section of them are in motion, in the current struggle; in the daily battle for concession and to acquire socially necessary means of life in all their dimensions. All the while we remain true to Marx approach to class. The reason why is to establish an economic communist polarity that demands socially necessary means of life as a birth right. ^^^^^ CB: Well, no not regardless who is President this time. A quantitative electoral boundary has been crossed, but yes to the rest of what you say. Activate Obama's claim that change comes from the bottom up. There's somebody at the top who won't suppress the bottomup movement. He's signalling he will be like Lincoln or FDR for a bottom up movement. ^^^^^^^^ Socially necessary means of life as a birth right. This is the path that is easiest to walk. The only way for people without money, or little money, to secure these socially necessary means of life is for, the government to give such to them. There is simply no other way. If you work and still cannot pay your bills or care for your family, what is one to do? Put on a ski mask and hide behind a tree waiting on some other proletarian with the same problems? Stick up a bank? To the degree that Obama's legislative mandates intersect with this demand is the degree to which his concessions and possible reforms are to be welcomed. This does not require communists to be torn from our line of march and preaching the gospel of class and economic communism. On this basis a huge section of the American proletariat, employed and unemployed will gravitate towards our economic and political pole, rather than merge directly with a political section of the bourgeoisie. *********** ^^^^^ CB: Maybe sort of half, but the other half is pretty American native. I will say that he's sort of like "a brother from another planet". More like an "immigrant" from ancient Egypt or something, somekind of higher civilization than America. His mother was an anthropologist, and he lived in Indonesia for a while, which might give him some ability to view American culture objectively like an immigrant, but his grandfather was a traveling salesman and his grandmother worked in a bank, real regular Americans from Kansas He's _sui generis_, a phenomon, breaking through a new "quantitative boundry" in personality type. He's got a lot of character, and, well../\. intelligence social intelligence and abstract intelligence. ^^^^^^^^ Comment/Reply OK . . . Obama is: 1). "sort of like "a brother from another planet". More like an "immigrant" from ancient Egypt or something, some kind of higher civilization than America." 2). "consciously constructed a Black identity of high integrity." 3). "Going to the hood to live, like an anthropologist joining his own culture." 4). "Now he's an interesting character. To coin a phrase, he seems to be in the Presidential world , but not of it. Somehow he comes across as confident in the sense of not worried, in the face of an extraordinary mess but not arrogant and not aloof." I think it is a serious mistake to imply that Obama or anyone else comes from a higher civilization. ^^^^^ CB: No it's not a mistake at all. It's a kind of imaginative play on your idea of "immigrant" which is more respectful than the connotation of "immigrant" in today's context in the US ^^^^^^ We most certainly are saying the same kind of thing in respect to the immigrant quality of the story President Obama articulates as the American Dream. It seems you may have thought I was saying that Obama is not black or African American. Sorry if my writing caused that kind of confusion. ^^^^^^^ CB: Yes, the connotation of immigrant is "foreigner" in the US, with the unfortunate prejudice against them that goes with it. He really does not have a "foreigner" feel about him , or he never would have gotten in as President. He's unique, a personality of a new type, _sui generis_. It helped him to bring out the best in Americans, such as it is. But anyway, enough celebration of that, 'cause the crises are seeming very daunting and he has an incredibly difficult "job" ahead of him that his personality won't do for him the way it could win the election. He may have brought out the best in Americans, but it's not clear that the best in Americans is up to the current crisis. ^^^^^^ In a few words, Obama articulates the immigrant quality of the American Dream and adopts the historical character of the "carpet bagger," the "do gooder," to work amongst the natives, so to speak. This is not a bad thing, but part of the logic of American history and society. There will always be carpet baggers, of whom I am one. I did my "southern tour" of duty as a Tanned Yankee or the infamous Northern Negro. ;-) ^^^^ CB: I would n't say he _articulates_ the immigrant quality. More that he has some of the objectivity in consciousness of some outsider /immigrant _and_ the consciousness a insider/native; and then he's got both White and Black insider/native consciousness. He _articulates_ the latter double , native consciousness which is our potential "higher civilization". That would be my take. Now we'll see if this consciousness can find a way to deal with the current crises. ^^^^^^ Still, the world in which Obama as President resides, that he is not only "of" but manifest, is rent with class contradiction and emerging antagonism. "A brother from another planet" . . . me think this statement is profoundly accurate. ^^^^^ CB: A planet with beings of higher intelligence, but it's not sure if it's high enough. ^^^^^^ Obama: the brother from another planet. Our brother from another planet . . . (wow!!!) . . . . is proposing a set of legislative mandates aimed at reforming the capitalist system, which cannot be reformed. What can be reformed is the institutional relations within and between classes ^^^^^ CB: A key one still being to abate racial difference between races. ^^^^^^ . Where aspects of his mandate intersect with the needs of our class is where we push for implementation of such programs. Not out of a sense of loyalty to Obama but as a function of our ideology and love of our class. ^^^^^ CB: Yes. Obama's character is interesting because of its success so far in advancing the working class's best interests, and projecting from that potential for him to advance them further. That goes without saying. The class must have political leaders. He so far has demonstrated good leadership qualities Think of Lincoln, Lenin, FDR, Castro. Of course, he's not there yet, but he keeps on moving in the correct direction, surprisingly. Who ever would have thought it would get this far a couple of years ago. ^^^^^^ I was certainly impressed with the honor President Obama bestowed upon Stevie Wonder and always feel pride when our country and its institutions fully acknowledge all of our history. Most people in America have had enough of pretense and the stupidity that accompanies all theories and doctrines of races amongst humanity. Obama did in fact help sections of America cross the Stevie Wonder boundary, which a huge cross section of America crossed decades ago. ^^^^^ CB: He is quoted as saying he wants 'to make the White House "The People's House" Stevie is a Balladeer for Americans, and his honor is a good step toward making it "The People's House." ^^^^^^^^ Still the tiny issue of class remains and will continue to express itself no matter how much and who ignores class. ^^^^^^ CB: All of Obama's rhetoric is pro-working class expressing empathy for the class, but using 'the terms that are acceptable "middle class" means working class in US terminology. He is constantly mentioning people who have suffered economic trauma, using examples. He was a community organizer. Today it's hard to express allegience to the working class more than that today. All of his signals are very biased toward everyday people. the folk. ^^^^^^^^ There are certain inherent danger and opportunities involved in all struggles of our fight for what is decent, honorable and "just plain right to do," and the greatest danger is being subsumed by bourgeois politics and notions that deny the class logic and structure of American society. Me think it is not dogmatic to speak of class, classes, and the capitalist class on a listserv that bills itself as Marxist. WL. ^^^^^^^ CB: No. I talk about class all the time. The dogma was in the reference to his being the CEO of the capitalist class. as if he can't advance the working class's interests because he is in that office So, were Lincoln and FDR, somehow that did significantly for the working class. O may not 'make it, but he gives lots of indication that he will do everything he can to be the Leader of , by and for the People "The People" being the traditional American way of referring to the working masses. He may fail, but he seems like he will give a better shot at it than anything I imagined would come along in this period. _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
